I have a 1973 Ranger 23. I love the boat and have sailed it many times and many miles. I keep it in the New York Harbor (jersey City Side) and sail in the harbor as well as some inshore coastal sailing (inside of 15 miles).

I pulled this boat this week and found that the keel has about 1 to 2 inches of play in it. Quick overview:
1. The bolts are tight and in good shape.
2. The keel to hull joint it sound, with no cracks.
3. There is no leakage in the keel sump.
4. When the keel is moved, the hull flexes for 12 to 18 inches on either side of the keel.

I called several reputable fiberglass people in the area and no one is interested in looking at the boat. A suggestion that I received was to enjoy the boat until it starts leaking.

Therefore, I have three questions:
1. Does this sound like good advice (could this be dangerous)?
2. Is this a common issue (not a lose keel, but a flexing hull causing the keel to wobble)?
3. If I were to endeavor to fix this (cut out the floor, grind out and rebuild 1 inch of new class across the inside of the hull, and rebuild the cabin floor) would this work, or simply crack/break the first time I hit a large wave/was knocked down?

This is my first post here and I would greatly appreciate any advice that you could give. Thanks again!